Three experiments addressed the performance of women on
mathematics tests under varying contexts. In
Experiment 1, women and men who were highly identified
with mathematics (i.e., had a history of successful
performance and valued performance in math) completed an
easy or difficult math exam. Performance was
equivalent when the test was relatively easy, but men
outperformed women when the test was difficult. In
Experiment 2, all participants completed the same set of
mathematical items, but they were told either that the
test they would or would not produce gender differences. Women performed more poorly than men but only in the
condition in which gender differences were highlighted. Experiment 3 demonstrated similar effects with a student
population with more varied background in mathematics. Thus, it appears that stereotype threat can undermine
performance of women in mathematics, particularly when a
challenging task is confronted and when stereotypic
assumptions of gender differences in performance are not
specifically dismissed.